That Word
by EFev
Summary: FutureFic. Kurt and Blaine's daughter, Lizzie, learns a certain hateful word. *Contains derogatory language.*


"Daddy?"

"Yeah, baby?" Blaine answered as he shoved the bedtime story back into the bookshelf and began to throw some stray toys into a nearby bin.

"Are you a fag?"

Blaine froze, his hand hovering over the stuffed animal lying on the floor. He slowly turned around and gently sat on the edge of his five-year-old daughter's bed. She stared up at him with wide, blue eyes.

"Where did you hear that, Lizzie?" he asked calmly, pulling her pink comforter up her chest and under her arms.

"School. Brandon Watson said so."

"What did Brandon say to you?"

"Well, he had Cheetos today in his lunch and I asked him if I could have one. He told me no and to get my own. I told him Papa only lets me have them sometimes as a treat and he said that's because Papa is fag."

Blaine breathed deeply and silently grinded his teeth.

"What did you say to him when he said that?"

"I told him that's silly and that Papa was a man. Then he said his mom said that both my daddies are fags."

Blaine sighed and lovingly brushed her bangs out of her face.

"Well sweetie, that word is a very mean word to call your Papa and me and I want you to promise not to say it again."

Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrows and looked dejectedly into her lap.

"I'm sorry, Daddy…I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Blaine leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"You didn't, Lizzie. There are just people who don't think Papa and me should love each other. So they make up really mean names to make us sad and angry."

"Why? Doesn't everyone love each other?"

"They should. But you know how Papa and I sleep in the same bed and kiss each other on the mouth like Auntie Rachel and Uncle Finn?"

"Or like Uncle Coop and Auntie Sara?"

"Right. Well some people think it's wrong because it's different. But it's not. Men and men love each other, like Papa and me. And women and men love each other, like your aunts and uncles. And sometimes women and women love each other, and it's all okay. You're just born to love the person you are meant to love."

"So you were born to love Papa?"

Blaine smiled warmly and nodded. Lizzie chewed on her lip thoughtfully.

"Well okay, that's good." She said nonchalantly. "Besides, having two daddies is really cool. Other kids in my class say I'm lucky."

Blaine laughed and leaned down, his forearms on either side of her.

"You are lucky because you have two daddies who love each other and love you more than anything else in the entire world."

She smiled brightly, the corners of her eyes crinkling just like Kurt's as she looped her arms around Blaine's neck.

"If Brandon or anyone else says something like that to you again, I want you to tell Ms. Lambert, okay?"

Lizzie nodded as she took her teddy bear from Blaine and hugged it close to her chest.

"Do you want me to get Papa to come tuck you in like a burrito?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, wriggling about as she situated herself in a prime burrito-tucking-in position.

"Okay. Goodnight sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy."

Blaine ran his hand through his hair and slowly padded into the kitchen where Kurt was finishing up wiping off the counters.

"Hey honey," Kurt said looking over his shoulder at Blaine. "Is Lizzie asleep?"

"Uh no, she wants you to tuck her in."

"Oh okay." Kurt turned around, drying his hands on a spare dishtowel when he noticed Blaine leaning against the island, eyes downcast as he gripped the edge until his knuckles were white. Kurt laid a hand on his forearm.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really." Blaine said, clearing his throat. "Why don't you go tuck her in and then we'll talk."

Kurt hesitated for a second and quickly went off to tuck in his daughter. Blaine rubbed his hands over his jaw and walked into the living room, slumping down on the love seat. He rested his elbows on his knees and vaguely listened to the distant sounds of Kurt wishing Lizzie goodnight and rummaging around for the nightlight.

Kurt quietly exited his daughter's room, closing the door with a soft click before making his way into the living room to find his husband sitting on the couch staring blankly at the wall in front of him. He swiftly stepped around the back of love seat and sat down next to Blaine, laying a comforting hand on his knee.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Blaine remained staring in front him, his face hardening before he spoke.

"Lizzie asked me if you and I were fags." Blaine felt Kurt stiffen next to him and grip his leg a little harder.

"Where did she hear that?" Kurt asked softly.

"Apparently the mother of some boy in her class told him her dads were fags and he repeated it to her."

Kurt cursed under his breath.

"Jesus, Blaine. This is how hate like this gets started, some close-minded homophobe poisons their kid's mind before they even have a chance of learning the truth about people," he retorted bitterly. "We're talking to her teacher and principal first thing in the morning. I'm not going to let my five year old hear shit like this about her own family."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand on his knee and looked at him, his eyes wide with emotion.

"Kurt—" Blaine started, swallowing a lump in his throat. "God…it's one thing to hear it come out of some random person's mouth on the street or a high school bully. But to hear your own little girl say it to you…"

"I know honey, I'm so sorry." Kurt said, leaning to kiss the side of Blaine's head. He moved closer and wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulder, carding his fingers lightly through his hair.

"You're an amazing father," Kurt whispered, his chin resting on Blaine's shoulder. "I know whatever you told her was perfect." He gently nudged at Blaine's shoulder and pulled him down to lie on the couch with him.

"She loves you. She loves me," Kurt continued. "And nothing any little kid or their parents say will change that."

Blaine smiled and craned his neck to look up at Kurt's face.

"Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you," he said, reaching to lightly trace Kurt's jaw line.

"Yeah, me too…" Kurt said with a smirk. Blaine pinched his waist and Kurt jolted, yelping and howling with laughter before clamping a hand over his own mouth so as not to wake the sleeping girl in the adjacent room. Blaine shook silently with laughter while Kurt tried to catch his breath. They smiled adoringly at each other, the same look that hadn't changed much over the past fifteen years.

Kurt's grip on Blaine's waist tightened as they leaned forward and connected their lips in a slow, languid kiss. Blaine ran his hand up Kurt's bicep as he deepened the kiss, his fingers landing on his collarbone and gently caressing up to the back of his neck. They pulled apart, each letting out a contented sigh as they snuggled closer to each other, eyes drifting closed.

"It'll be okay," Kurt whispered, rubbing his hand up and down Blaine's arm.

"I know."

"No offense, sir, but this is bullshit," Kurt asserted, raising his voice more than he intended. "We chose this school specifically because we were told it would show no tolerance for any kind of bigotry."

"I know that, Mr. Anderson," Principal Byden said, leaning back into his desk chair. "And this school's population is incredibly tolerant, but we can't possibly make parents disclose homophobia before they enroll their children."

Kurt huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, scowling at the logic of his words.

"Well then how do you suggest we handle this?" Kurt said tersely.

"Talk to Ms. Lambert, approach the PTA about having a tolerance seminar. Maybe by expressing your concern, other parents will ally with you and your husband over this issue. There is power in numbers," Mr. Byden suggested, clasping his fingers on the desk in front of him.

Kurt nodded thoughtfully, sighing out of his frustrating lack of control.

"If you really want, you can request a transfer for your daughter to another kindergarten class if you are concerned about this one particular classmate."

Kurt shook his head. It was already too far into the school year to switch up her learning environment like that.

"No…that wouldn't help," he said, chewing on his cheek. "I guess the only thing I can control right now is my desire to not have her be placed in the same classroom as that little boy for first grade." Mr. Byden nodded understandably and made a note on a nearby pad.

"I'll keep your suggestions in mind, Mr. Byden. Thank you for your time." Kurt reached forward and shook the principal's hand.

"Anytime, Mr. Anderson."

Blaine held Lizzie's hand as he walked her into her classroom, carrying her small knapsack in the other. Upon entering the bright room, she immediately let go of his hand, rushed to put her lunchbox in her cubby and went to sit next to three other little girls on a nearby carpet.

Ms. Lambert approached Blaine and warmly shook his hand.

"Mr. Anderson, it's so nice to see you," she said, taking Lizzie's backpack from him and placing it on a hook next to the wall.

"Please, it's Blaine," he smiling at the teacher. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something."

"Of course." Ms. Lambert led him to the back of the room to sit the chairs next to her desk. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, Lizzie told me last night that one of her classmates told her that her dads were fags," he said, lowering his voice.

Ms. Lambert frowned and opened to mouth to speak but Blaine continued.

"I know that it's not your place to tell parents what to believe or not to believe, but I just don't want my daughter to be fed hate about her own family," he said seriously. Ms. Lambert nodded emphatically.

"I completely agree. I am so sorry this has happened. I promise to keep my ears open and be vigilant for any more language like that. Please tell Lizzie to come to me right away if anyone else tells her anything along those lines."

Blaine sighed, relieved at her cooperation.

"Thank you, that means the world to Kurt and I."

Ms. Lambert glanced warily around the classroom. "Do you mind telling me what classmate said that to her?"

Blaine reiterated Lizzie's story from the night before.

"Look, I know he doesn't know what we was saying, or even what it means. I don't want to disenfranchise a little boy because he's learning something hateful from his parents." Blaine said glancing over his shoulder at the group of kids congregated behind him by a bookshelf.

"I promise that won't happen, I'm just going to pay attention to make sure this doesn't spread."

Blaine heard Lizzie shout "Papa!" and he turned around to see Kurt entering the classroom following his meeting with Principal Byden. He turned back to the young teacher.

"Thank you so much, we're really grateful. Truly."

She smiled and shook his hand, acknowledging Kurt with a friendly wave before a child approached her wailing for a Band-Aid.

Kurt and Blaine knelt down in front of Lizzie and each hugged her tightly. Blaine placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"I want you to remember what we talked about last night and to tell Ms. Lambert if it happens again, okay sweetie?"

Lizzie nodded and smiled, wrapping her arms around both her dad's necks.

"Okay. I'm going to go back to play now," she said, turning on her heel and running back to the girls sitting in a circle playing with dolls.

Blaine and Kurt exchanged mirthful looks, happy to see her so well adjusted. Could be worse, they thought. She could hate it. Blaine took Kurt gently by the elbow and led him out of the kindergarten class, passing a group of mothers gabbing in the hallway.

"I wonder which one it is…" Kurt whispered to Blaine once they were out of earshot.

"Does it really matter?"

"I guess not."

"We've got our family. That's all that really matters."


End file.
